Fluid-Structure Interaction Experiments On A Scaled Model Wind Turbine Under Tailored Inflow Conditions Using PIV And Photogrammetry

Wind turbines are exposed to a variety of inflow conditions when operating in free field conditions. The inflow velocity can change on the scale of seconds. The resulting effects on the turbine itself are difficult to study due to their complexity and the size of such systems. For this reason, it is of great interest to investigate occurring effects in more detail using scaled experiments under as realistic conditions as possible. However, due to the complexity of such experiments, this remains a major challenge to this day. This study presents wind tunnel experiments on a scaled wind turbine with realistically bending rotor blades. The turbine is subjected to a tailored flow generated by an active grid. To investigate the aerodynamic effects and also the resulting fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of such a flow on the turbine, PIV measurements are performed at different positions of the blade span and additionally the deformation is measured by photogrammetry. This combination of experimental components provides the first holistic insight into the influences of dynamic inflows on a wind turbine.